After You, M'Lady
by LeighLand
Summary: From roller coasters to airplanes, this story combines a series of four vignettes in the relationship of Chad and Sonny, each with its own exciting mini-plot. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

**Sonny With a Chance**

**After You, M'Lady**

**Chapter 1**

Author's Note: I've had a series of ideas floating around for a while, so I decided to write this story as a series of four one-shots that take place at different periods in Chad and Sonny's relationship. I hope you guys enjoy them! I'll be posting them one at a time after I get a few reviews for each, but they are all written and ready for y'all to read!

* * *

**After You, M'Lady – Chapter 1**

Sonny Munroe stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a full glimpse of the line that seemed to stretch for miles ahead of her. She was currently at the tail-end, waiting for her turn on the most intimidating, highest-dropping roller coaster in Los Angeles.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and theme park goers were out in full force despite the 90-degree weather that was sending heat waves swirling from the black pavement. She glanced around until her gaze fell on her four castmates who were occupying a bench, huddled under a scrawny tree for shade. They'd all decided to join up for a So Random day at the park, but unfortunately Sonny had found herself the only enthusiastic participant of the bunch.

"Guys!" Sonny yelled over to them from across the walkway. "Come over and ride this baby with me!" She gestured excitedly with her hands for them to join her.

"Sorry, but me an' Grady are dyin' from the heat over here," Nico answered first.

"Yeah," panted his chubby friend, wiping sweat from his forehead. Suddenly, a new energy lit up his eyes as he suggested, "Hey – why don't we go get some Dippin' Dots?"

"No, no, guys – can't you wait for your ice cream until _after_ you ride with me?" Sonny begged, not wanting to ride solo yet again. But her plea was thrown into the wind as both boys escaped out of earshot and headed over to the nearest Dippin' Dot station before she could even blink.

The brunette sighed and turned to her two friends remaining on the bench. "Tawni? Zora? Can one of you _puhleeaassee_ come with me?" she whined loudly, hoping to eke a little bit of sympathy out of their heartstrings.

"Sonny, you _know _better than to ask me on that machine of terror," Tawni shuddered. "It will absolutely murder my curls, and it took me almost a full hour to style today," she stated, carefully fluffing her hair.

Sonny turned a pleading gaze towards the youngest Random, which was quickly rebuffed. "Don't look at me, sister," Zora snapped. "I may like catapults on a small scale – like my cold cut version – but I don't like the idea of something besides me catapulting _my body_ into the atmosphere," the doomsayer said wryly, shaking her head.

Sonny's shoulders dropped despairingly as she turned back to face the long line alone.

"Awww, looks like somebody doesn't have a ride buddy," a familiar voice taunted from behind her in a mock sympathy.

Sonny whirled around to address the individual. "Chad? What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?" she asked, her face twisted into a confused yet accusatory frown.

"_What_? Me? Of _course_ not. Don't flatter yourself," Chad Dylan Cooper shot back snidely. "I'm getting paid to be here."

"What for? Are you on exhibit from the zoo?" she prodded sassily.

"Ha ha, you're quite the comedian today, Munroe. Only problem is – you're a _lame_ comedian."

"Thanks, Chad. What a compliment! But you still haven't answered my question: why… are… you… here?" she questioned him pointedly, slowing her words down to a grinding halt.

"For a Mackenzie Falls meet-and-greet," he bragged. "Didn't you see the sign at the ticket office? For an extra twenty dollars, you can get _my_ very own priceless signature, a 100 mega-pixel poster of _me_, a t-shirt with _my_ glorious face on the front, and – if you're lucky – you can stand in line for a few hours to get the chance to meet _me_ in person," Chad concluded, popping his collar arrogantly.

"Ah, poor deluded people. What a rip-off." Sonny sighed in sympathy.

"You're just saying that out of jealousy because you don't have a So Random meet-and-greet," Chad countered.

"Ha! Why would I be jealous? _I_ get to ride roller coasters like this while you're out there being attacked by rabid fans."

"Oh, so you think I have the bad end of the deal? What about you? You don't even have someone to ride with you, and that's half the fun!"

"Well, I'd rather ride with nobody than to have to ride with you!" Sonny shouted angrily, her eyes blazing with the same intensity of the heat that was beating down upon them all. She paused to catch her breath, not quite realizing how loud and irritated she'd become over the course of the argument. A few moments passed while an embarrassed blush rose to her cheeks, and she tried to field the curious stares that she was attracting.

"In that case, if that's the way you feel, then I'd be happy to join you," Chad broke the silence calmly, knowing that his presence would irk her to no end.

"WHAT? No! No, no, no. You are not coming with me," she declared, albeit halfheartedly. It _would_ be nice to have a partner to ride with…

"Yes, I am. I still have some time before the meet-and-greet starts," he said, glancing at his Rolex, "so it would be my pleasure to annoy – I mean, accompany you," he finished, earning a glare from Sonny for his "slip-up".

"You do know we'll be in line for another hour or more," Sonny reminded him, trying weakly to dissuade him while there was still time.

"I know," Chad replied, shoving his hands nonchalantly into his pockets.

* * *

Sure enough, the time crawled by as Chad and Sonny inched their way forward through the never-ending line. Often, they waited in silence. More often than not, however, they started meaningless fights just to pass the time. But before either teen realized it, they found themselves standing at the loading station, just a few minutes away from taking their turn.

Sonny rocked forward nervously on her feet, the pre-coaster jitters setting in as she watched excited teens being strapped in for the ride. Her edginess didn't go unnoticed by Chad, who simply smirked down at her.

"Nervous, Munroe?"

"No, Cooper." She retorted adamantly with a frown. Suddenly, she felt a comforting hand rest on her back for a few seconds, but it soon began to push her forward as the loading gates opened for them to walk through.

Chad let her enter the car first.

"After you, m'lady."

Sonny hid the half-smile that crept onto her lips as she stepped down into her seat on the far side, securing the harness over herself until it clicked.

Any trace of that smile was wiped clear off of her face within the next nanosecond.

For Chad Dylan Cooper had strolled clear off, leaving her behind with nothing but a wink and a thumbs-up for a goodbye. Gritting her teeth in frustration, Sonny regretted ever falling for that smooth line. She should have known that it was just a pretense so that he could walk away scotch-free. But she wasn't going to let that jerkface ruin her ride, and her spirits began to brighten as a spunky redhead about her own age stepped forward to take Chad's vacant seat.

They hit it off, and were soon squealing, laughing, and chatting during the thrilling ride. Before long, both girls had arrived back at the loading station and were exchanging numbers and waving goodbye to each other as they walked down the exit ramp and parted ways.

Sonny decided to take a look at the automated pictures from her ride, so she stepped up to the booth located beside the coaster's exit.

"Hi, are you a Miss Sonny Munroe?" One of the staff members asked her as she approached to view her photo.

"Um, yes," she replied uncertainly.

"I was told to give this to you," the employee said, handing her a personalized print-out depicting her and the redhead side by side in the car, holding on for dear life. Their hair was tossed around them, and both mouths were wide open, clearly screaming bloody murder.

Laughing at the picture, she turned to the staff member. "Who told you to—" Sonny stopped mid-sentence as a small inscription on the bottom right corner caught her attention. It read: "Looks like you found a ride buddy after all. Too bad she's nowhere near as hot as me. TV's Chad Dylan Cooper." She shook her head ruefully at his outrageously arrogant statement, but all the same, she knew that she'd already forgiven him on the spot. But the note didn't stop there: "P.S. Don't throw this away – it's worth a good $20."

Sonny smiled, thanked the worker, and strolled away with a light step, shaking her head. On her way over to meet her castmates, however, she noticed a huge Mackenzie Falls poster with the details for the meet-and-greet displayed along the walkway. She stopped to look for the official starting time of the event. As she glanced over the schedule, a puzzled look came across her face. That look was soon to be replaced by an ear-splitting grin.

It seemed that the great Chad Dylan Cooper had purposely missed the first full hour of his own meet-and-greet to wait in line for a ride he'd never be able to enjoy… just to share in the company of a certain "lame comedian", a.k.a. Sonny Munroe.

* * *

Author's Note:

So… for all of you that were throwing virtual knives at Chad: it turns out that his leaving her at the ride was for a very unselfish reason all along! Hope you liked this vignette and that it wasn't too confusing. I love to add crazy plot twists to surprise my readers. ;)

All the best,

Victoria L.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sonny With a Chance**

**After You, M'Lady**

**Chapter 2**

Author's Note: A big thank you to all of my reviewers for Chapter 1! I was blown away by how quickly everyone responded with their comments. You guys are the best.

* * *

**After You, M'Lady – Chapter 2**

"ZORA!"

The furious scream reverberated down the studio hall from two outraged voices. From the ceiling above, the audible thumps of the culprit could be heard echoing through the vents as she made her escape from the crime scene. Once again, Zora Lancaster, mastermind-prankster, had outdone herself by making her victims – Sonny and Chad – miserable.

They'd found out her plan quite by accident, due to a certain blundering pair of friends – Nico and Grady. Whilst searching the prop house for a secret door, they'd come across a small niche where their youngest castmate had stashed blackmailing material that was just a day away from being sent off to the eager Tween Weekly press.

One of the findings was a picture of Chad sucking his thumb in his sleep. The shot was directed from above the sleeping young man, so it was apparent that Zora had lucked out during one of her excursions through the studio vents near his dressing room. The other finding was a photo of Sonny with her arms thrown around the huge Tridark poster of Jackson Tyler, with her lips planted firmly overtop of his fanged smile.

In and of themselves, these two pieces of incrimination could be humiliating, to say the least. But Zora hadn't stopped there. What Nico and Grady found next had almost given them a heart attack until they wizened up: they'd discovered a picture of Chad and Sonny kissing. In the picture, his eyes were closed, and he was lying underneath of Sonny, whose mouth was covering his almost completely. The only problem was that the photo of their make-out scene was a complete set-up.

After examining the three separate pictures side-by-side for close to an hour, the light bulb finally went off for Nico and Grady, and they realized that all Zora had done was carefully photo-shop both teens' photos into one. As if that were not enough, attached to the photo was Tween Weekly's "Daily Sleaze" email address as well as a write-up captioning the picture: "Mackenzie Falls Gets Down and Dirty… With So Random!"

Like the good friends they were, Nico and Grady had gone immediately to tell Sonny.

Like the small-brained simpletons they were, Nico and Grady had also left the pictures behind in the prop house.

Sonny had screamed and dashed off towards the prop house with the two pals, dialing Chad's phone and breathlessly commanding him to meet her there as well. They'd all arrived just in time to see Zora rigging a thirty-gallon bucket of paint over the half-closed door before disappearing into the vents with a triumphant cackle. She had also laid a mat of bubble wrap across the entire prop house to further prevent them from entering.

Granted, she had given them a tiny bit of leeway to rescue the pictures. They were lying on a table in the middle of the room, silently daring the four onlookers to endure the gauntlet to retrieve them.

Nico and Grady had sympathetically patted Sonny on the shoulder, taunted Chad to go get the pictures, and then fled the scene, leaving the other two teens at the present moment.

* * *

"I can't _believe_ she'd frame us like that!" Sonny yelled, turning suddenly towards her livid companion.

"I know! I mean, it was bad enough that she dragged both of us into this, but to drag Mackenzie Falls into it too?" Chad flared his nose in anger and clenched his lips firmly together, speaking through his teeth, "That's _totally_ uncalled for!"

"Ugh, Chad – you're such an idiot – I meant framing us _kissing_, not framing our shows," she muttered disdainfully.

"Oh… yeah, well that too," he replied indifferently, as if that side of the issue had never crossed his mind. "But anyways, nobody would ever believe that _I_ would kiss _you_!"

Sonny tried not to look offended. "Why, thanks. You know just the way to put my self-esteem first." She spat sarcastically.

"Speaking of putting you first…" Chad sneered, gesturing with an outstretched arm for her to cross the fated doorway first.

"After you, m'lady."

Sonny raised her eyebrows defiantly and mocked his stance. "No thank you," she faked politeness. "After _you_, my good man."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Look, Sonny – one of us has to go in there, and it's not going to be me."

"Well, I'm not going in either, so unless you want the world to see the great Chad Dylan Cooper kissing his number one rival…"

Sonny was interrupted. "Oh, for God's sake, Munroe – just suck it up and go through the stupid door!" he shouted, irritated that she wasn't taking orders from him.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but you know how this works – guys are supposed to be the chivalrous ones," she said firmly, crossing her arms and waiting for him to make the first move.

"Please," he waved her comment off. "That was back in the days of the Titanic. Nowadays, it's survival of the fittest. I'm _obviously _more important – and morefit, by the way – than you, so you'll have to take one for the team."

"Not happening," Sonny sang under her breath, until it was taken away by the fact that a seething Chad Dylan Cooper had moved to where he was inches away from her face.

"Listen here, Munroe – this is all your fault. If you hadn't been pathetically making out with a picture of a guy who's _way_ out of your league, none of this would have happened!"

"Ooooh… it sounds like somebody's jealous that he's not getting any of my attention!" she confronted him bluntly.

"Look, if I wanted attention from you, all I'd have to do is—"

"Have a bucket of paint fall on your head!" Sonny squealed while pushing him through the door with all of her strength. She watched the movement trigger a reaction as the bucket of paint tilted in slow motion, but to her horror, she found both her wrists being jerked firmly over the threshold of the prop house door. Chad Dylan Cooper wasn't stupid enough to go down alone, so he had roughly pulled her into the war zone as well.

* * *

They both slipped on the bubble wrap, causing bone-chilling popping sounds to erupt as they fell towards the floor. Raising their heads for a brief second, they were soon forced to close their eyes as wave after wave of neon-pink paint sloshed over both screaming teens. After the torrent of color had subsided, they both opened their now-sticky eyelids slowly to survey the damage.

Coughing and spluttering, both Chad and Sonny sat up simultaneously. Sonny suddenly realized that she'd been clutching onto Chad, so she quickly let go of her vice-like grip on his tense arm. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she turned to face Chad with a frown. "This is absolutely _disgust_—" A bubbly laugh burst out as she noticed for the first time that his hair was now splattered with brilliant pink highlights.

"_What_?" he questioned irritably, glaring daggers at her. Her intuition warned her not to ostracize an already angry Chad Dylan Cooper.

Sobered by his mood, Sonny answered, "Um… oh, nothing. I just – I mean, I just… am so _glad_ that we can rescue that dumb picture now!" She fibbed with a fake enthusiastic grin, climbing awkwardly to her feet in her now-soggy clothes.

She meandered her way forward to the table in the middle of the prop house and snatched up the photo, studying it closely for a few moments. _I still can't believe that Zora was about to go through with this_, she thought, frowning. Then a brilliant idea lit upon her. Why not use the photo for _her_ advantage? Maybe just post a few copies around the Mackenzie Falls studio area to embarrass Chad, or…

"WHAT?" Chad shouted, scrambling up quickly.

"Um – I didn't say that aloud, did I?" she laughed nervously, backing away. His steely glare gave her the unfortunate answer.

"Sonny Munroe," Chad said warningly, "Hand over that picture _now_."

"Why should I?" she bluffed, trying to gain time while she inched towards the doorway.

In turn, he began slowly walking towards her, taking his cell phone out of his pocket. "If you don't, I'm gonna kiss you good and hard _right now_ and send the real picture on to Tween Weekly. And the new caption will be: 'Sonny Munroe Simply Can't Keep Her Lips off of the Greatest Actor of His Generation.' " Chad waved his hand and stared off into the middle distance dramatically before snapping back to the present.

"You wouldn't," she breathed, her eyes widening in horror. The things people would say… no, the things _her own mother_ would say if that was printed!

"Oh, but I would," he responded with a determined gleam in his eyes, stepping forward to tower over her.

"F-fine," Sonny stuttered under the pressure of the moment. "Take your stupid picture," she spat, handing it over to him.

Chad swiftly grabbed Sonny's outstretched wrist and slid the printout from between her fingers. Still holding onto her with one hand, he drew her towards him in a fluid motion. Sonny stiffened immediately, not accustomed to being inches away from the great Chad Dylan Cooper's chest.

"What's going on here, Chad?" she asked him suspiciously as he leaned down towards her. Gasping suddenly as a new realization hit her, Sonny shouted, "Are you trying to KISS m—" He placed a hand over her mouth to silence her momentarily.

"Do you seriously think that _I_ would kiss _you_, Munroe?" he smirked, repeating the same line he'd used not fifteen minutes ago. "Of course not!" he bragged with a self-righteous look. "I just needed to do…." He took a deep breath and leaned forward. "…_this_."

And with that, Chad shook his paint-laden hair furiously like a wet dog, slinging it all over the squealing Sonny who was currently crushed against him in a tight embrace. Chad laughed as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp, her smooth skin now dotted all over with what looked like pink freckles. After a few more moments of rubbing his revenge in – literally, that is – he released her. Sonny stumbled away from him, her eyes blazing.

"Chad… Dylan… COOPER!" she seethed, wiping one of her eyes with an already paint-covered hand. "You are SOdead." Sonny spun on her heel, strutting angrily away from the prop house with her shoes squeaking noisily, much to the afore-mentioned heartthrob's amusement.

He sighed contentedly with a triumphant smirk on his face. Not only had he achieved the retaliation of a lifetime, but he'd gotten a hug from Sonny – provided that you overlook the fact that it was a _stolen_ hug. Walking over to exit the prop house as well, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror….

A few doors down the hall in her dressing room, Sonny Munroe was painstakingly washing the miniscule paint dots from off of her face and clothes. Suddenly, a particularly girlish and familiar scream penetrated Stage 3. She turned off the faucet to be able to analyze the source of the screaming but soon turned the water back on with a grin. Chad Dylan Cooper must have just caught a glimpse of the real damage that had been done to his hair.

_Oh well… if anybody could make pink look good, he'd be the one_, Sonny thought, smiling ruefully.

* * *

Author's Note:

This was pointless, I know. But my original idea just kept blossoming into a bunch of different twists, so que serra, serra.

What did _you guys_ think? Did you like it? Please review and let me know.

Victoria L.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sonny With a Chance**

**After You, M'Lady**

**Chapter 3**

Author's Note: Thanks again to those of you who are diligently following this story. To reward your patience with me for being a slow updater, I'm posting the full story for you to finish.

* * *

**After You, M'Lady – Chapter 3**

Sonny approached the automatic sliding doors in front of her with a small bout of depression. Toting along two suitcases, a carry-on bag, and a purse, she entered the busy airport terminal, the confusion of the travelers' hustle and bustle weighing down on her.

It's not that she wasn't looking forward to going back to Wisconsin for the studio's two-week Thanksgiving break. Sonny had been missing the family she'd left behind and was ready for all the gatherings and big dinner celebrations that would follow her return. But the prospect of the long, lonely connect flight and the separation from her friends was saddening. Right before she left from Stage 3 to arrive at LAX, her castmates had all crowded around her to wish her well in their own quirky ways, giving her second thoughts about embarking on her trip before she'd even started out. Even Marshall had made an appearance and given her a big, sweaty hug before she left.

The one odd thing was that Chad Dylan Cooper had been absent from the whole event. She had told him weeks ago of her departure and was slightly angry at the fact he hadn't even bothered to send so much as a goodbye. Sonny tried to clear the questions from her head and frowned, rolling her suitcases towards the ticket station.

The click-clack of businesswomen's heels, jumble of conversations, and thumps of luggage-handling all assaulted her ears as she continued across the gleaming floor. Sonny could feel a headache coming on and wanted nothing more than to have just a moment of peace and quiet to herself. Suddenly, the thud of slapping feet began to register in her hearing. At first she ignored it, assuming that some ordinary traveler was late for their flight. But when the sound began to increase in volume until the runner was just about to overtake her, she whirled around at the last minute.

* * *

Who she saw in front of her came as a mind-shattering surprise.

A disheveled TV heartthrob whom Sonny recognized all too well met her quizzical glance.

"Chad? What in the world! Who are you running after?"

"After you…" he panted, gulping in air, "…m'lady."

Sonny appraised the young man in front of her with a suspicious glance. He was currently bent over, hands resting on his thighs as he paused to catch his breath. "Oh, please, Chad – do you _really_ expect me to fall for that line _again_?" she asked him, quirking an eyebrow at him unbelievingly as she stared at him in shock.

Startled at her reaction, he snapped his gaze up to hers and looked at her in confusion. His plan to win her over was not working – Sonny was supposed to be "Awwing" by now and throwing herself at him.

Chad couldn't think of any asinine response, so he decided to take a leap of faith and just go for it. "Sonny, I – well, I really mean it," he said in a rare moment of sincerity, before narrowing his eyes mischievously and adding "…_this _time."

"Do you, Chad? Do you really?" she questioned him sarcastically.

"Yes, I do – _really_," he retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Well, sorry, but I don't have time to sit here and have meaningless arguments with you. I have somewhere to be." She glanced at her watch, and without a look backwards, began walking away. What Chad didn't know was that her heart was pounding furiously, torn between the pull of her hometown and something else that she attributed to the pull of Los Angeles. Not that a certain heartthrob had anything to do with _that_. It was just that, if she let her defenses down now, all her resolve to leave for Wisconsin would vanish. Sonny didn't need to stay here for him; after all, what had her caring done in the past? She'd always been left deluded by his smooth-talking while she pined away for the heartthrob that she was sure didn't give two cents about how she felt.

"Hey, hey – you can't just walk away from the greatest actor of our generation," Chad chided, running after her yet again and causing her to halt abruptly as he blocked her path. She was getting ready to descend down the escalator to check in her baggage, but he had placed a hand on either side of the entrance, preventing her from moving forward.

"Chad, _what_ do you think you're doing? I have a plane to catch! And things to do! And people – no, _not_ you – to see!" she fumed, trying to get past him. Recognizing her frustration, he smirked and plucked one of her heavy suitcases effortlessly into one hand, allowing her to pass.

"Okie dokie, then. I'll lead the way," Chad said persistently, grinning as he began his ride down the escalator. He could feel her eyes boring into the back of his head the whole way. When they had finished their descent, she brushed passed him, trying to jerk her captive suitcase from his grip. It was not as easy as it appeared.

"Chad, let go," she protested, wrestling for possession of her suitcase.

"Chill, Sonny – me and the dumb suitcase are going with you, so there's no need to fuss." With that, Chad yanked it away and strode through the masses of travelers over to the baggage claim, leaving Sonny trotting breathlessly behind him.

"What… do you mean… you're going with… me…?" she gasped, quite out of breath.

"Well, of course, _somebody_ has to look after you and make sure that a country hick like you doesn't get on the wrong plane, so I offered my services," Chad bragged, pulling a plane ticket out of his back pocket and waving it behind him for her to see, while not slowing his pace down at all.

"WHAT? No! No, no, no. You are not coming with me," Sonny declared, albeit halfheartedly. She brushed away the thought that it _would_ be nice to have a partner to ride with her… _Wait a minute. Hasn't this all happened before? _she mused, coming to a standstill smack in the middle of the airport's hustle and bustle. Their conversation suddenly seemed like déjà vu.

Chad had also heard her response and had turned around abruptly, walking to stand in front of her.

"In that case, if that's the way you feel, then I'd be happy to join you," he said, grinning like there was no tomorrow. She brought her confused – but still dazzling – brown eyes up to meet his. So _he _had remembered it too… that one eventful day two years ago where they'd engaged in the exact same conversation, only now it was over a roller coaster ride instead of a plane trip.

A second of silence followed between them, until it was broken by an outburst of laughter from her. Sonny basked in the hilarity of it all until the tears ran down her face and her stomach hurt from all of her giggling. Soon enough, Chad joined in too, watching her beaming face the entire time. He could see that she'd let all of her premonitions and anger wash away in that moment of mutual merriment.

"I… haha… I can't believe that, two years later, we're still having the same dumb arguments," she gasped mirthfully.

"And I can't believe that, two years later, you'd even _think_ about riding by yourself without even inviting me," he mimicked her, with a hint of rebuke in his voice. He looked straight at her and raised his eyebrows in his classically defiant Chad-Dylan-Cooper way.

"So you really are serious about coming with me, Chad?" she said hopefully, scanning his obscure blue eyes.

"Duh," came his one-word response. He gave her a mockingly hurt look, as though shocked that she wouldn't trust him.

"Don't look at me like that, Cooper. I wouldn't be surprised if you walked me all the way up to the plane door and then disappeared with a 'Peace out, suckas!' " She imitated his catch phrase in a gruff voice.

"Nah, Munroe. I won't desert you this time," Chad replied, shooting her a playfully fond glance. "Or at least not until we reach Wisconsin…" he murmured within her hearing range. Sonny just rolled her eyes before elbowing him swiftly in his side. Always a step ahead, he quickly caught her elbow and instead used the opportunity to steer her towards the baggage check station.

* * *

An hour and a half later, an announcement blared over the waiting area speakers that it was time to board for the flight. Sonny shook the dozing Chad next to her awake and gathered up her small carry-on and the magazine she'd been reading to pass the time.

"You ready to go, Chad?" she asked. He nodded his head and then rose to his feet, leading the way down the covered entrance. There was something oddly comforting about following his tall figure to the plane, his broad shoulders forging a pathway for her as he competently guided them to their seats.

"After you, m'lady," Chad offered unexpectedly, letting her slip in before him to claim the coveted window seat. She smiled gratefully at him before sinking into the welcoming cushions.

And surprisingly, this time there was no insult to throw in her face, no joke to humiliate her with. There were just those three words, and a sincere Chad… and that's all that really mattered to Sonny Munroe.

* * *

Author's Note: So… I wanted to tie in the first chapter (the roller coaster scene) into this one to put them in a lighter mood. There's nothing like a little mutual reminiscence to bring two enemies together. ;) Did you guys catch that? Or were you confused? I hope not!

Anways, let me know what you think.

All the best,

Victoria L.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sonny With a Chance**

**After You, M'Lady**

**Chapter 4**

**

* * *

**

**After You, M'Lady – Chapter 4**

Chad Dylan Cooper stood beside the huge wall-sized window before him, dressed in his designer pajamas. Staring out into the breezy Bahamian night bathed in blackness, he gave a sigh of pure happiness as a new lightness flooded over him. His mind sped giddily over the events that had passed that very day. It all seemed a blur compared to the stillness of the resort villa in which he was currently staying…

…It had been a hectic morning, filled first with sleeplessness and a nervous anticipation as he waited for a dozen celebrity groomsmen – all of them twice as egotistic as himself (supposing such a thing possible) – to arrive. There'd been a fuss over the tuxedos, the Italian shoes, and the hairdos, not to mention a close call with the $350,000 ring. But hours later, everything had reversed to slow-motion once he caught his first glimpse of _her_.

He could still picture it so clearly in his mind: the sand whirling delicately around her bare feet, her petite form floating lightly towards him in a gorgeous white gown. Her eyes sparkled with energy, laughter, and pure bliss, mirroring the affection that was reflected in his own…

Chad shook himself out of his thoughts and tugged the blinds closed before turning away from the full-length bedroom window towards his side of the bed. Simultaneously, he heard a doorknob turn, and Sonny appeared from the expanse of the private master bath and spa adjacent to their room.

"Chad!" she squealed excitedly. "This place is beautiful! It's amazing! I mean a Jacuzzi, a sauna, _two_ sinks… you could fit my whole house in this one bathroom!" she finished breathlessly, bouncing up to the other side of the bed with exhilaration. "How much did you spend on this?" she followed up, quirking her eyebrow in a "you-shouldn't-have" manner.

"Aaahhh, nothing much. 'Only the best for you', ya know, and all that jazz," he replied jokingly, waving her question off. "Calm down, honey," he added as he eyed her bright cheeks and shining eyes that radiated appreciation.

" Awww, Chad. And 'Honey'? That's new," she giggled, gazing at him from across the expanse of the bed.

"Well, it rhymes with "Sonny", and I figured since I'd be around you for the rest of my life, I'd better come up with some backup names to break the boredom," Chad responded facetiously.

"Well, I think it's cut–– aaahhuummm," she yawned suddenly, covering her mouth with one hand while stretching the other towards the ceiling.

Chad smirked fondly at her and reached over to pull back the duvet.

"After you, m'lady," he gestured gallantly, shooting her an amorous wink.

Sonny grinned back at him and climbed onto the bed, situating herself comfortably before he nimbly hopped in beside her, pulling the covers over them both. Propping himself up on one elbow, Chad leaned over and kissed his blushing bride soundly on the lips.

* * *

As he pulled away slowly, he gazed at every inch of her flawless face in wonder. The realization had just now dawned on him that she was _finally_ his – all the years of waiting were over, and there was nothing else that was going to come between him and his Sonny. With this heavenly epiphany in mind, he smiled brilliantly down at his wife and was about to kiss her again when something in her countenance caught his attention.

Was she… nervous? Although her wide smile betrayed no such thing, Chad could have sworn that there was a twinge of worry lurking in her eyes. He knew Sonny too well by now to overlook such an obvious fact. He decided to drop CDC's "Operation Sexy Husband" act and give in to his intuition instead.

Reaching over to tenderly caress her cheek, he asked her quietly, "Something wrong, Sonny?"

She blinked up at him in surprise, which quickly transformed into relief. "How did you know?" she asked shyly, a small smile forming on her lips.

"As I've said before, Chad Dylan Cooper knows everything. But he especially knows when his lady is nervous," he added, giving her a knowing look.

Sonny sighed in defeat. "Well I guess 'Chad Dylan Cooper' is right for once about 'his lady'," she responded in kind. "I… it's just that, well… I mean – were you expecting for us to..." here she mumbled something so softly he could barely make out the words "…tonight?"

"Hey, hey… if that's what you're worried about, then you should have just told me," he said gently. "No, I'm not 'expecting' anything out of you, Sonny." Here he paused thoughtfully. "Besides, making love will come on its own, and when it does, we'll be so caught up in the moment that you won't even have time to be nervous," he continued honestly, reassuringly.

A twinkle sparked in his eyes as he inclined his neck to whisper further in her ear, "But I'm sure it won't be long before you fall prey to the CDC charm," he grinned wickedly.

Sonny's hearty laugh bubbled right out at that, and she threw her arms affectionately around his neck, bringing his body down on top of hers with a thud.

Chad smiled at her relieved cheerfulness until she began planting light kisses along the side of his neck. "So-onn-ay," he chuckled, "tha-at – oh, stop it! – that tickle-es," he gasped, trying to duck his head out of her reach.

After a few more seconds of teasing him, she finally released her tight grip and allowed him to roll off beside her. "Hmmmm… looks like 'Mr. CDC Charm' over here can't endure the Munroe charm, huh?" she laughed, turning her head to look at him.

"What are you talking about, Sonny? There is no 'Munroe charm'. It's the 'Cooper charm' now, remember?" he countered saucily, rolling his eyes.

"Uggghhh… I forgot. Well, that's unfortunate." Sonny gave a mock sigh and turned her head away. _3… 2… 1… _She counted down slowly, knowing that her indifference would tick him off.

Chad bounced up quickly, hovering over her. "What do you mean, 'That's unfortunate?' You get to classify _your_ charm under the same name as _mine_ now, which makes it a million times better," he said, using pointing gestures to communicate his perspective.

"Haha," Sonny chuckled dryly, "_that's _exactly what I meant by unfortunate, you conceited little––" She was promptly cut off by a series of breath-taking kisses from Chad.

"No…" (kiss) "…badmouthing…" (kiss) "…_our_ name…" (kiss) "…Mrs. Cooper," he finished, leaving a flushed Sonny beneath him as he beamed victoriously at the success of his conquest.

She sighed in defeat and looked up dazedly into his laughing eyes. "You're too smooth, Mr. Cooper," she grinned, quite out-of-breath, while shaking her head ruefully.

"Yeah," Chad agreed, shrugging in a nonchalant manner. "But that's why you married me," he said, a teasing smile playing across his face.

Sonny just laughed, rolled closer to him, and nestled her head in the crook of his arm, yawning.

"Well, I'm pooped," she said, a wave of drowsiness suddenly falling over her as she basked in the warmth of Chad's comforting arms. "You ready to go to sleep?"

"Of course. After you, m'lady," he whispered, pressing his lips to the tip of her nose while simultaneously reaching across to turn off the bedroom lamp.

"Chad," Sonny mumbled sleepily into his shirt, "that made absolutely no sense."

"I know," he responded. "I just like calling you my lady, now that you finally are," he said simply, a thrill running through him as the young woman in his arms closed her eyes contentedly and flashed a brilliant smile.

And with that, Chad Dylan Cooper let his head sink onto the pillow they were sharing and fell into the best sleep of his life. With _his_ lady.

* * *

Author's Note:

Last chapter… sigh….. Okay, I'm shaking out of it.

Well, that was fun. I hope you guys enjoyed reading these little vignettes as much as I enjoyed dreaming them up. I do want to acknowledge that I had a hard time with this chapter – I wanted to keep Chad and Sonny fairly in-character with the teasing and arguments and stuff, but then I also wanted to add cute moments since they DID just get married. ;) I hope that it wasn't too sappy and that I hit a happy medium. Let me know what you think!

All the best,

Victoria L.

P.S. Did anybody catch the tongue-twister? If you did, feel free to tell me in your review. I thought I'd sneak one in there.


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